Can Increased Health Insurance Deductibles Lead to Medical Malpractice?

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We all need health insurance rather we choose to admit it or not. It is widely known that Americans spend less than 5% of their time in doctors' offices. It is vital that we all have a sense of protection in case the need for medical attention arises

Earlier this month the residents of Pennsylvania were singing the blues as it was announced that its insurance deductibles were going up. In case health insurance lingo bewilders you, premiums are the cost of insurance, deductibles are what you pay to use it. Bottom line, low and middle incomes families cannot afford the out of pocket expenses. While high deductible insurance plans pose several issues the biggest threat is the risk of medical malpractice. Lots of patients are now seeing doctors less frequently and declining important medical tests.

Failing to take proper care of yourself not only impacts patients but also the doctors. A Medical Malpractice firm in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania warns patients and doctors that medical malpractice can include several types of scenarios including:

• A medical specialist fails to order proper follow up tests, causing a delayed diagnosis • An obstetrician fails to recognize or react to warning signs of a dangerous pregnancy due to less frequent visits • A pharmacist can dispense the wrong prescription medication • An anesthetist may administer the wrong dosage of medication or fail to monitor a patient properly. We all hate high insurance deductibles; however, we must learn to take the good with the bad.